Seinen Manga

Post by **Lungs** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 9:59 pm

Alright, I encountered a thread similar to this in another forum I ran past... but, you know, can't for the life of me remember where it was. So! I feel as though you, here, will be MORE than competent in building a second thread using your bricks of wisdom and experience (you can quote me on that). I think, if I remember correctly, the last one went something along the lines of posting your favourite examples of Seinen manga - manga for mature readers - and then one of those things, a flash review or an arbitrary star based rating. Beats me. But, hopefully, by participating in such a manner, the ball will launch into a steady roll and discussions will begin to emerge in the wake. "Have you ever heard of..." "What's that like..." I'm sure I don't need to tell you all this, but I like the look of my own font.

To start: I quite like Araragi Express by Kaiji Kawaguchi! I've mentioned this before, and, yeah... I still do. The style is formidable, plain but able to impress in both consistency and realism. With a main character like Araragi, an earnest lawyer turned ambitious gangster, you will be surprised to find a role model... but, you know, how could you not be impressed, everything he does is cool. Everything.

Quite obviously Kentaro Muira's Berserk is up there in the realm of all time favourites. Dark, metaphysical violence of a soul search. Fucking great.

Ah, I hate writing reviews for things. Alright, I'd be interested in reading 20th Century Boys, Monster, Priest, and Mushishi! Anyone read these willing to let me know a bit more about them?

Post by **Devil_Dante** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:20 pm

Seinen means "young Man." Manga and anime that specifically targets young adult males around the ages of 18 to 25 are seinen titles. The stories in seinen works appeal to university students and those in the working world. Typically the story lines deal with the issues of adulthood.

Monster: nice detective story with a great plot. Lots of chasing situation, average artwork. Sometimes too much drama after my taste.

Post by **Finito** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 10:39 pm

Devil_Dante wrote:Typically the story lines deal with the issues of adulthood.

Or its just plainly violent and cant fit somewhere else. I think seinen simply means, to most people, mature manga.

Except for Berserk and Priest, I dont like the others, but if you liked Berserk for its violence and bloody action scenes, you'll probably like Priest too. Like the title implies, its around christian religions, its a conflict between fallen angels who want to pay back to god, another fallen angel who wants revenge from the others and the humans in between them since the battle is going on in the human world.

Post by **Devil_Dante** » Fri Dec 08, 2006 11:11 pm

You might want to try Vagabond too and some Shamo. I really like those ones alot.

Vagabond: story about Miyamoto musashi, so expect a lot of samurai "actionz0rs" (like finito would say).

...superb artwork and storyline, you must read this one...

Shamo: Some kid gets in jail and learns some karate... sounds stupid but it surely isn't.

Post by **Finito** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 12:12 am

Devil_Dante wrote:Vagabond: story about Miyamoto musashi, so expect a lot of samurai "actionz0rs" (like finito would say).

Ok way too much David Blaine for you, your trying to predict what I would say?

Well let me tell you your NEEIIZZN09EZorOz0rSz
zT

tEIkouT00uZhansDZzARugoz0RS90oO years too early

Well Vagabond is a little too slow pasted to be a top actionzorginziglesias but its still a great read and "une ostie de bombe" amongst other manga.

Post by **Libaax** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 4:39 am

There are many great Seinan that arent action or has very little action in it.

Monster being a great example.

Deathnote is also the bomb.

Blade of the immortal is seinan right? Some action but mostly i like it for its samurai feel and characters.

Lone Wolf and Cub is Seinan right? If so its one you must read, one of the best mangas i have read. Great sword action but the writing is soo good that its like reading 10000 page epos about the world of the Samurai and the normal people that lived in it. Much about Buddha,heaven and hell etc

The best damn ending ever too. I never felt so much for a character like i did for Ogami Itto in the latter parts of the manga.

Post by **Lungs** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 7:20 am

Excellent! I have seen many Lone Wolf and Cub books around! An easy series to obtain, in small littles books, though. Yeah, wicked. Have to look into that.

Ah, I'll still give Monster a try, eh. Action is entertaining, but I can get it in strong doses from certain other series. Chase scenes? That sounds a little boring, even film chase scenes can be boring (not including Ong Bak). But I often make bold claims like that because my memory's shit... yeah, I'll get it, out of curiousity. I forgot to put Vagabond on the list, as for Shamo - it was alright, I wouldn't consider it a favourite, though. I bought some Blade of the Immortal and then later found some volumes online, but I was reading Vagabond at the same time... realised Vagabond was far more enjoyable.

Would Death Note be seinen? I guess so, eh. Pretty strategic, bit more involving than most shonen.

Anyone read any manga similar to Black and White?

Post by **Libaax** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:16 am

Death note is soooo far from shonen

It must be sienan. Its too dark for shonen.

Post by **Albator** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 2:34 pm

It's a good point, also I'm not so sure.

The style is definitely shonen, and nothing is really graphic. There's more blood in Naruto or Bleach. However the absence of comedy (exc ept Ryuuk here and there maybe) and the numerous death, added to the seriousness of the tone, probably makes it Seinen.

Post by **LordMune** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 5:52 pm

Death Note is definitely in the no-man's-land between shounen and seinen; the age of the main character often reflects the intended demographic, and Light is quite young; however, the story and themes presented are definitely seinen material.

Post by **Lungs** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 7:56 pm

Think that's what made Death Note so popular, something to like for everyone. But compare Death Note to Gantz and you just kind of wave your hands and wonder why the fuck they talk so much. Besides, I thought there was quite a bit of comedy, and... dun dun... it was almost Shoujo styled comedy!! We're working with some kind of sick mutant.

Anyway, some of you have been avoiding the thread question, which was: what is your favourite?

Also, has anyone read Mad Bull? Is that Shonen?

Post by **Libaax** » Sat Dec 09, 2006 8:19 pm

My fav seinan is in this order

Berserk, best manga i had read for a long time, the first 15-18 vols are the best i have read specially the long flashback.

Lone Wolf and Cub, a true classic that still has the best feel of samurai world i have read or seen. the art is still great despite it being almost 30 years old.

Vagabond, good story,great action and awesome art

Deathnote, one of my fav characters and great thriller with nice detective feel. More DN and less crap ala Naruto!!!

Monster- good story with feeling

Island, awesome art,great action short but ack so sweet.

Blade of the immortal, great art,sword action.

Crying Freeman, good story and action and great old school art. Best gangster story!

Priest- good action,nice art.

Shamo- great start and very dark story.

Post by **Devil_Dante** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:48 am

lol Libaax, you always say seinAn and not seinEn...

btw, shamo is so much better than priesttt :p

Post by **Finito** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 9:34 am

Lungs wrote:Anyway, some of you have been avoiding the thread question, which was: what is your favourite?

I think it should be pretty obvious that Berserk is the favorite, so no real need to ask that unless its on the plural sense and since there is no number limit, we can just talk about any of the ones we like a lot.

Lungs wrote:Also, has anyone read Mad Bull? Is that Shonen?

With the tons of violent mass murdering action scenes its definitely seinen. For being pretty old fashioned, having every old cliche you can imagine and not having much of a thinked plot nor story except for an excuse to some mindless killing. It is nothing great, but still a funny and entertaining spoof.

Devil_Dante wrote:btw, shamo is so much better than priesttt :p

Definitely not in my book...

Some other good names not mentioned yet,

Shin Angyo Onshi, simply greatness incarnated, a fantasic world where demons are in the human world doing their things, killing and stuff. The only person capable of stopping them is the old commander who led the human army to victory against the demons back in the days. After leaving the kingdom which as turned evil inside out since, hes back packing with his magic powers, gunslinger skillz and his cold hearted brainy tactics.

Eden, starts slowly and lots of read, but the action piles up pretty good, more than a just thinked story, but the plot stays easy to follow. You probably dont want to get attached to the characters too much since they are probably going to die somewhere in the end. We follow the son of the world wide most wanted drug dealer in his growing up on the run or fighting everyone(governement army platoon, federal agencies, drug cartel competition, etc) trying to get to him or his family. The best is its going on in a futuristic world devastated by a virus and lots of enhanced war technologies.

Too bad Shigurui asnt been scanlated above ch01, because its some pretty sick seinen with b10OdyZiM0oz()R5z blade fighting action packed scenes. Some samurai clans fighting, the fighters use their inhumans fighting skills to wreck eachothers up and lay down the gore.

Post by **Devil_Dante** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 12:28 pm

Basilisk manga isn't bad either. The story is somewhat short but worth the read imo. Its about two Ninja clans with extraordinary skills that fight eachother for dominance. Nice artwork and story.

Post by **Libaax** » Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:15 pm

Priest is awesome, waiting a whole year for a new vol is killing me:(

Post by **Kreshi** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 8:52 am

you forgot to mention Zetman... it´s the 2nd best manga after Berserk

.

Post by **Dagda Mor** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 11:00 am

Lone Wolf and Cub is highly recommended, and Blade of the Immortal is a great read as well, but hello? What the hell are you people thinking, neglecting Hellsing and Trigun Maximum? Both are breathtaking examples of stirring storytelling and breathtaking action. And believe me, don't think that either series goes the way of the anime.

Post by **Libaax** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 8:43 pm

Hellsing is like Naruto for me,alot ofpotential but the mangaka isnt good at writing a plot.

I got sick of the fight versus Anderson in vol 6 or 7 and havent read since then.

Trigun i never could get into.

Finito:

Shin angyo is prolly in my top ten seinen maybe even in top 5 but i didnt add it cause i havent read it for a long time cause of the slow realeses.

Now that there is a new group i will start reading again.

Post by **ZombieToaster** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:47 pm

Fist of the northstar

It was published in shounen jump, but its definately seinen.

Post by **Finito** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 5:57 am

ZombieToaster wrote:Fist of the northstar

It was published in shounen jump, but its definately seinen.

Yeah I think its seinen too with the violent fightings and hundreds of death. The artist is pretty much seinen addict, if you liked FotNS you should like his other series too, they are very much alike.

Post by **Grahf** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 6:07 am

Finito wrote:Eden, starts slowly and lots of read, but the action piles up pretty good, more than a just thinked story, but the plot stays easy to follow. You probably dont want to get attached to the characters too much since they are probably going to die somewhere in the end. We follow the son of the world wide most wanted drug dealer in his growing up on the run or fighting everyone(governement army platoon, federal agencies, drug cartel competition, etc) trying to get to him or his family. The best is its going on in a futuristic world devastated by a virus and lots of enhanced war technologies.

Sick I started reading that last night and it did start off slow. I have to reread the chapters I read. Since I was half awake during the time. But it really does look sick with the whole virus and what not.

Reminds me of that move that coming out "Children of Men".

Post by **Lungs** » Fri Jan 12, 2007 10:03 am

Excellent. Have to thank Silverado for his archive, eh. Made many of the series mentioned possible to get. Or easier, at least - more direct, haha. And, yeah, you're right Finito in how it should be obvious as to what people's favourite seinen manga will be... I'm glad, instead of answering with Berserk, there was a bit more depth of interest.

One of the best things, I find, about manga aimed at adult (or male-teen) audiences is the quality of art! Shin Angyo Onshi is a great example! It has quite a breath-taking style that super extenuates beauty, detail and expression. Smooth, vivid and immaculate. I have a deep respect for the artist, eh.

Eden's another winner when it comes to quality of art, especially later on. Technical detail. Although, Eden is impressive for other reasons... I can't believe they're dealing with quantum computing, viral Gods and artificial intelligence on such a serious and intelligent level. It rivals science fiction novels, kind of. Except, you know, astounding in visual presentation instead of heaps of tiny, tedious, words. Haha, Grahf, it continues slow - somewhat methodically, somewhat confusingly - but there are constant rewards, eh.

Ahh... some good shit. Island, eh? I think I know where to find that.

As for Priest, Monster and Crying Freeman, I'm stumped. Heard of Priest and Monster before, I think Manga Screener did Monster years and years back - so I wouldn't be surprised if they were in the possession of some kind of publisher, sick as they are.

Basilisk? Haha, yeah, I've skimmed a chapter, I think. A while ago, though - definitely deserves a second chance if it's been recommended. Same goes for Zetman (and Akumetsu).

Dagda, are you serious? Might have to check them out after all. While I liked the anime series for Trigun (the first half more than the second, I'll admit), I never considered the manga as a serious option, haha. That's cool.

Wicked. This's becoming a grand list, thank you all... I hope I'm not the only one finding it useful.

Post by **TrueRush** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 12:04 pm

there's actually a tons of them stuff that would be rated nc17 just for the graphical violence alone.

never got into death note or priest they wore me out with boredom.

if you havent tried these i would recommend them:

the ravages of time
battle angel alita
C.A.T
Cannon God Exaxxion
Kurozuka

call me a sadist or whatever but im a big fan of raw gore and explicit violence with good character development and believable story telling. its not always the case but something that i'd like to go by. eden and berserk are one of my favs and one piece.

Post by **Aldarion** » Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:48 am

How come no one mentioned Tsutomu Nihei's works?

Blame! and Biomega are my favorite series' with Berserk.

Blame!: A huge megastructure city which has pretty much deserted. Main character Killy is searching for Net Genes so that the largening of the City could be stopped. And Killy has a gun called Gravitational Beam Emitter, which is the most badass weapon ever. Blasts through EVERYTHING.

Biomega: Pretty much like Blame! but with more plot and more people alive